﻿OTTER- 
  TE 
  AWL 
  FISHERY. 
  

  

  31 
  

  

  their 
  value 
  for 
  the 
  perpetuation 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries, 
  the 
  quantity 
  of 
  

   them 
  destroyed 
  is 
  not 
  compensated 
  for 
  by 
  the 
  catch 
  of 
  sole. 
  

  

  The 
  wolf 
  fish 
  or 
  catfish 
  is 
  also 
  taken 
  more 
  frequently 
  in 
  otter 
  

   trawls 
  than 
  on 
  the 
  lines, 
  but 
  the 
  entire 
  quantity 
  marketed 
  by 
  the 
  

   trawlers 
  did 
  not 
  exceed 
  75,000 
  or 
  80,000 
  pounds 
  in 
  1913. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  edible 
  though 
  unutilized 
  fishes 
  taken 
  by 
  the 
  two 
  methods 
  

   of 
  fishing, 
  the 
  otter 
  trawlers 
  take 
  more 
  flounders 
  and 
  monlcfish 
  

   and 
  the 
  liners 
  more 
  silver 
  hake 
  and 
  dogfish, 
  while 
  there 
  is 
  not 
  

   much 
  difference 
  in 
  the 
  relative 
  quantities 
  of 
  skates. 
  Although 
  sev- 
  

   eral 
  species 
  of 
  skates 
  are 
  highly 
  regarded 
  in 
  other 
  countries, 
  it 
  

   does 
  not 
  appear 
  that 
  any 
  determined 
  effort 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  to 
  estab- 
  

   lish 
  a 
  market 
  for 
  such 
  fishes 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States. 
  The 
  relative 
  

   prices 
  of 
  fishes 
  are 
  to 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  extent 
  controlled 
  by 
  local 
  taste, 
  

   custom, 
  and 
  prejudice. 
  For 
  instance, 
  the 
  silver 
  hake 
  which 
  is 
  thrown 
  

   away 
  by 
  American 
  bank 
  fishermen 
  is 
  the 
  highest 
  priced 
  of 
  the 
  Irish 
  

   demersal 
  fishes 
  (excepting 
  flat 
  fishes), 
  the 
  haddock 
  being 
  next 
  in 
  

   price. 
  The 
  skate 
  sells 
  in 
  that 
  country 
  for 
  but 
  about 
  10 
  per 
  cent 
  

   less 
  than 
  the 
  cod, 
  and 
  in 
  England 
  the 
  fishermen 
  receive 
  for 
  dog- 
  

   fish 
  but 
  50 
  per 
  cent 
  less 
  than 
  for 
  cod. 
  In 
  Germany 
  the 
  monkfish 
  

   sells 
  for 
  much 
  more 
  than 
  fresh 
  mackerel. 
  There 
  is 
  nothing 
  to 
  

   indicate, 
  therefore, 
  that 
  the 
  otter 
  trawlers 
  added 
  greatly 
  to 
  the 
  

   supply 
  of 
  fish 
  food 
  by 
  the 
  introduction 
  in 
  the 
  markets 
  of 
  fishes 
  

   which 
  are 
  not 
  yielded 
  in 
  considerable 
  quantities 
  by 
  the 
  line 
  fish- 
  

   eries, 
  although 
  their 
  catch 
  is 
  such 
  as 
  to 
  apparently 
  make 
  this 
  to 
  

   some 
  extent 
  possible. 
  

  

  FLUCTUATIONS 
  IN 
  THE 
  CATCH 
  AND 
  EVIDENCES 
  OF 
  IMPOVERISHMENT 
  OF 
  

  

  THE 
  FISHERY. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  hardly 
  to 
  be 
  expected 
  that 
  a 
  fishery 
  so 
  recently 
  established 
  

   and 
  of 
  such 
  moderate 
  development 
  as 
  otter 
  trawling 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  

   States 
  would 
  have 
  any 
  apparent 
  effect 
  on 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  fishes, 
  

   but 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  alleged 
  that 
  a 
  diminution 
  of 
  the 
  catch 
  of 
  demersal 
  

   fish 
  already 
  has 
  become 
  apparent, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  examine 
  the 
  

   evidence 
  in 
  respect 
  to 
  the 
  allegation. 
  The 
  statement 
  made 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  

   beginning 
  of 
  the 
  effects 
  of 
  otter 
  trawling 
  on 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  fishes 
  

   on 
  the 
  banks 
  became 
  apparent 
  during 
  1913 
  in 
  the 
  quantity 
  of 
  fish 
  

   landed 
  at 
  Boston. 
  The 
  following 
  table 
  gives 
  the 
  landings 
  at 
  that 
  

   port 
  for 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  years 
  : 
  

  

  This 
  table 
  shows 
  that 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  gradual 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  t,otal 
  

   catch 
  from 
  1909, 
  when 
  there 
  was 
  but 
  one 
  otter-trawl 
  vessel, 
  until 
  and 
  

   including 
  1912, 
  when 
  there 
  were 
  six 
  in 
  commission, 
  but 
  that 
  in 
  1913, 
  

  

  